FESTIVAL REVIEW: Grapevine Gathering 2019
Having made its debut in WA over the weekend, east coast music festival Grapevine Gathering settled nicely into the Perth scene, with a colossal 12,000 people pouring in for nothing short of a grape time.
With scenic rolling hills and an open field as far as the eye could see, Sandalford Wines made for a great venue. With some of Australia’s most-loved talents on the festival circuit, it was an excellent and exciting new way to celebrate the first day of summer.
With most geared up in wide brim hats and something a little dressier than usual, there was a more fun atmosphere to the festival as everyone wore their Sunday best. It was just as well, with the kooky Grapevine Chapel wedding loved-up couples/best friends. Admittedly, there were less art installations than expected, but there were plentiful picturesque photo opportunities, thanks to unique touches like the huge inflatable grapes decorating either side of the stage.
In spite of the unfortunate set cancellation of Arno Faraji, Perth-based DJ Spooky Sushi and RnB duo Big Words held the party down. The latter brought their latest track ‘Cicada’ – a fantastic song about letting go and being oneself, just as the crowd did by shedding all shyness as they danced on.
Next up was Kira Puru, who exacted just the right amount of chills with her powerhouse vocals. With a wide smile on her face and a sleek outfit to match, Kira got the early afternoon crowd more than just side-stepping to tracks like ‘Say Something’ and ‘Molotov’. With the baton passed onto Touch Sensitive, there was simply no denying a good groove with his disco-esque hits, namely ‘Pizza Guy’ and my personal favourite, ‘G.A.L’. Sure, it might’ve been way too hot for a dance – but Touch Sensitive wasn’t having a bar of it, and we were all the better for it.
Of course, what’s a festival without Mallrat? The Brisbane pop star graced the stage in a summery neon-green fit and opened with 'Shoulders’ – a great cue for those already keen to get on their mates’ shoulders. Unlike other festivals, the vibe was a little more jovial and a little less hectic, perhaps due to the nature of her music. The mellow single ‘Charlie’, dedicated to her dog, was the most touching by far.
The crowd absolutely lost it upon the onset of ‘Groceries’ and ‘For Real’, followed by ‘Uninvited’ and ‘UFO’, which she’d smashed earlier this year at Allday’s concert in August.
As she skipped off stage, Crooked Colours made their entrance, announcing that it’d been a year since they’d been back home in Perth. Reminding everyone to “Make some noise!” and “Stay hydrated!”, it was sometimes hard to do just that with the growing crowd and struggling water stations.
Playing right into golden hour, Crooked Colours started things off with ‘Come Back To You’ and ‘Vera’ off their 2017 record, Vera. Trailing off into heavier territory, they got stuck into their newer songs such as ‘Hold On’ and ‘I Hope You Get It’, before declaring “What a f*cking vibe!” there was. Above all, the crowd had made them feel special, which positively fuelled their larger than life performance.
The love flowed for Flight Facilities, who always manage to gather the most enthusiastic fans dressed in full aviation gear. With the ethereal Owl Eyes on vocals, they started their set with ‘Arty Boy’ and ‘Foreign Language’ before encouraging everyone to get on shoulders (again) to their 2008 classic, ‘Crave You’. Despite the 11 years since its release, the track proved how timeless it was with one look at the crowd.
“I’m going to need all your voices for this one,” said Owl Eyes, as she ushered everyone into the chorus of ‘All Your Love’.
Thereon, Flight Facilities thanked us for bearing with them through the mild technical difficulties, which were barely noticeable; everyone was too focused on getting their phone lights out for ‘Claire De Lune’. Then came the build-up to their brand new song ‘Ghost’, which surprisingly steered from their usual sounds. Nonetheless, it was fun to hear something new and fresh.
Having saved best for last, Grapevine Gathering had Two Door Cinema Club charm us all as the indie rock legends played their last show of the decade for us. Coming in strong with ‘Talk’ and the age-old ‘Undercover Martyn’, there was absolutely no time to waste.
Though not as well-known by the general audience, songs from their 2019 record False Alarm like ‘Dirty Air’ were still well-received. The boys then took things back to their debut album, with ‘I Can Talk’ and ‘This Is The Life’ acting as the perfect commentary for the night.
Singing “If this is the life / then who’d argue?”, Alex Trimble summed up the day perfectly.
While we had all almost certainly ‘been drinking wine’, there were no ‘Bad Decisions’ as we had the sheer pleasure of Two Door Cinema Club playing for us. Especially with the likes of ‘What You Know’, ‘Something Good Can Work’ and ‘Lavender’ (with Kevin Baird shredding it up on guitar), the sing-a-longs were constant.
The most cathartic moment of all for TDCC fans was having their smashing performance end on ‘Sun’ – yet another of the band’s upbeat but introspective anthems.
With a full day of festivities and a brilliant end to the Sunday soiree, it’s safe to say Grapevine Gathering will be eagerly welcomed back to the summer festival circuit next year!
